Isaac Newton Christmas Lecture 2019

Credit: “DNA double helix and sequencing output” by Peter Artymiuk

Tales of DNA

a duo public lecture (including 20 minutes interval) by

Professor Anna Marie Roos

School of History & Heritage, University of Lincoln

and

Dr Fabien Paillusson

School of Mathematics & Physics, University of Lincoln

Wednesday 18 December 2019

6 pm – 7:45 pm

Newton Lecture Theatre INB0114 in the Isaac Newton building, University of Lincoln

This special Christmas lecture consists of two short parts of 25-30 minutes each with 20 minutes interval, during which a bar will be open where visitors can buy mulled or usual wine and soft drinks. After the second talk there will be some time for questions.

Book a place

This duo lecture first explores the collaborative and gendered discovery of DNA,  one shaped both by rivalry and collaboration. We will then learn how DNA and its environment may collaborate to perform biomolecular feats reminiscent of costume change magic giving DNA the functional versatility of a Swiss Army Knife.


Anna Marie Roos is a Professor of the history of science and medicine at the University of Lincoln. She has a  B.A. in Molecular Biology, M.H. in Humanities and a Ph.D. in History from the University of Colorado (USA). She came to Lincoln in 2013 from the University of Oxford, where she was the Lister Research Fellow.  Anna Marie is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, a Fellow of the Linnean Society of London, and a visiting fellow at All Souls College, Oxford. She is also editor of Notes and Records: The Royal Society Journal of the History of Science. Anna Marie  studies the early Royal Society, as well as natural history, chemistry, and medicine in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Her scientific and historical work has been featured in Nature News, Welcome History, the Guardian and the New York Times.


IMG_6050-8Fabien Paillusson is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Mathematics and Physics at the University of Lincoln. He holds the degrees of M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Theoretical Physics from the University Pierre and Marie Curie in Paris (formerly the Sorbonne), France. He came to Lincoln in 2015 from Durham University and previously also worked at the University of Cambridge and the University of Barcelona in Spain. He publishes on a wide range of topics spanning the physical and life sciences, from granular materials to DNA. His broader interests lie in Theoretical and Computational modelling, the Foundations of Physics, Physics and Maths Education, AI (Machine Learning and Automated Reasoning), Logic and the Philosophy of Science.


Image credit: “DNA double helix and sequencing output” by Peter Artymiuk, CC BY.

8 Comments Add yours

  1. John Clarke says:

    A very enjoyable evening with a nice welcome! The first lecture was easier to follow than the second but I guess that relates to the nature of such a vast topic as DNA and what you can get over on the science part in the time available.

    Like

  2. Pauline Tait says:

    What a very pleasant and interesting evening! I think it is amazing that local residents can attend these events for free and it was lovely to see such a diverse audience. I thought both lectures were incredibly well presented and very engaging though some of the science was beyond me. I now plan to find out more about DNA. Thanks you and well dome to all involved.

    Liked by 1 person

  3. Susan Milsom says:

    A wonderful opportunity for we non-academics to hear lectures by specialists on their particular fields . Part 1 was particularly understandable and part 2 stretching – though we did have aaah moments of clarity. Just don’t ask me to explain the concepts again now!

    Liked by 1 person

  4. M J JAYS says:

    Informative and entertaining. I enjoyed the lecture and still have to pinch myself to think that we are able to go to a Physics lecture in Lincoln. I am looking forward to next year’s programme already

    Liked by 1 person

  5. David Royle says:

    Thought provoking, with interesting possibilities.
    Very well presented .

    Liked by 1 person

  6. Danny McLaughlin says:

    Fantastic lecture, both parts fascinating and complementing each other. Managed to transmit information on complex topics in a very digestible way. Thank you.

    Liked by 1 person

  7. Grace says:

    A wonderful lecture, we throughly enjoyed it. Highly informative ,fantastic facilities and to top it off super coffee and mince pies.

    Liked by 1 person

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